News Releases

Salina City Manager Jason Gage receives award for excellence in public management

Jason Gage, City Manager of Salina, was awarded the Buford M. Watson, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Management by the Kansas Association of City/County Management (KACM). The Buford M. Watson, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Management is the highest award given by the association and recognizes outstanding achievement in public management, dedication to the public management profession, and mentorship of young professionals.

A public reception will be held to honor Gage from 3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. on Monday, January 27, 2014 in Room 109 of the City/County Building, 300 W. Ash Street, Salina, Kansas. The presentation of the award will follow during the regularly scheduled city commission meeting at 4:00 p.m. in Room 107 of the City/County Building.

“Jason exemplifies excellence in city management and our association is proud to recognize his accomplishments and dedication”, said Trey Cocking, President of KACM and the City Manager of Atchison. KACM also noted Gage’s commitment to the association, having recently served as its President in 2012.

Some highlights of his nomination include:
• He actively encourages and promotes his department heads to continually improve and regularly challenges them to not accept the status quo

• encouraged his executive staff to be active in succession planning and leadership development in order to ensure consistent operations and service to citizens

• Engaged all city departments in Continuous Process Improvement training and implementation

• Coordinated with city and county leaders, the USD305 Superintendent, the Salina Airport Authority, KDHE, and many others in an effort to hold the EPA and Federal Government responsible for a groundwater contamination problem from a former air force base that has not been resolved for more than twenty years

Gage has served as Salina’s city manager since July of 2005. Prior to that time, he served as the city manager of Stillwater, Oklahoma; assistant city manager and management intern in Salina; and city manager of De Soto, Missouri. Gage holds a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree with a major in Political Science from Missouri Southern State University (Joplin, Missouri) and a Masters of Public Administration Degree from the University of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri). He is a credentialed International City/County Management Association (ICMA) member, a Kansas Association of City/County Managers (KACM) member, local United Way board member and serves on other various local committees.